


Live Like Humans

by asymmetricace



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Background HankCon - Freeform, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mild/Implied Sexual Content, RK900 is Nines, but in a limited third person perspective, but not really, i cannot stress how mild anything that isnt just implied is, i said this was kind of a slow burn, if enemies counts as being a dick to someone for a couple days, its really just a slow burn, kind of a casefic, mostly gavin - Freeform, nines-centric, rated for language, some tina, speedrunning gavin's redemption arc, thats gonna be in chapter 8, they solve a case but it isnt the point, who doesnt like another 'nines partnering up with gavin to deviate' fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2018-11-03
Packaged: 2019-07-17 08:33:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16091918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asymmetricace/pseuds/asymmetricace
Summary: What better way to expose an unconverted RK900 to the range of human emotion than by having him partner with Gavin Reed to stop a string of android murders? Nothing, by Connor’s logic. He just wants his new brother to deviate on his own time and maybe for Gavin to chill the fuck out for once. And RK900? He doesn't even know what he wants yet.(A Nines-centric story about his path to deviancy.)[title is subject to change]





	1. loudly, and with feeling: FUCK

**Author's Note:**

> hello hello!! welcome to the time of year when i crawl out from under my rock to produce a fanfic lmao
> 
> i didn't really go into this with the goal of "i wanna write a dbh fic," i just was struck with an idea in the middle of class one day and here we are. i'm just having fun with it, and i hope you will to. 
> 
> now, the fic is mostly from nines' perspective, but this first chapter is from gavin's just to set the scene.  
> (and i'm not too fond of how the formatting turned out here but i'll try to fix it eventually)
> 
> (this fic does not have a beta, just a warning. any typos i will own and will embrace and maybe change if they're too terrible)

            It was going to be a normal, possibly decent day. It was _supposed_ to be a _normal,_ possibly _decent_ day. He should have known, (he should have _fucking_ known), that whatever all-powerful, all-present deity that usually ruined his plans wouldn’t allow him that. Of course, he abruptly remembered this fact when his car door caught his elbow as it was closing, jarring his arm and spilling hot coffee all over his hand.

            “ _GOD-FUCKING-DAMMIT!_ ” Detective Gavin Reed swore loudly, instinctively dropping his cup to shake the burning liquid from his fingers. He continued growling out curses as he dried the sleeve of his jacket against his jeans.

 

             “Good morning to you too, Reed!” The sarcastic greeting was paired with a none-too-gentle slap to the back. Gavin whipped his head around to glare daggers at the culprit.

            “Fuck off, Anderson!” Gavin spat, wishing he could get away with literally spitting at Lieutenant Hank Anderson.

            “Woah, what’s got you so worked up already?” Hank’s feigned innocence was only slightly undermined by his shit-eating grin. Gavin’s absolutely scathing remark was cut off before it began when Connor ( _the android sent by CyberLife,_ Gavin thought mockingly), finally caught up and placed a hand on Hank’s shoulder. The man’s expression immediately softened. Disgusting.

            “Don’t antagonize him, Hank.” Connor said softly. “Would you like us to help you here or get you another coffee, Detective?”

            Gavin swiftly turned away and stomped off towards the entrance of the precinct. “I’ll tell you where you can stick your damn help…” He grumbled. He kept his eyes narrowed and jaw set as he made his way directly to the breakroom, daring anyone to try and approach him. He had just started making a new cup of coffee when someone finally decided they were brave enough.

 

            “Oof! Someone’s bristly today!” Officer Tina Chen leaned on the counter next to the coffee maker. “What happened? Your cat dump you?”

            “Ha ha, fuck off.” Gavin sighed without any real bite.

            “No, seriously, dude. What’s up? You look pissier than Fowler when Anderson told him to ‘get off his dick’ for asking why he ate something out of a victim’s freezer.”

            Gavin chuckled. “God, that was a good day. We decided Anderson was drunk at the time of the incident, right?”

            “Yeah,” Tina laughed, “This was well before Connor.”

            “Ugh, don’t talk about that plastic shit right now…”

            “You’ve already run into him and Hank today? Wow, this is kind of early, even for them.” Tina looked around for a moment, attempting to spot the pair. “Is that what’s got you in an infamous Reed Mood?”

            “If only… Certainly doesn’t help. I spilled hot coffee all over my damn arm.” Gavin took a sip of his new coffee, sighing.

            “Oh, _that’s_ why you reek of caramel!” Tina said. “I thought you just got a really shitty new cologne.”

            “Why the fuck would I buy a new cologne?”

            “I dunno. Maybe your old puppy crush on Anderson decided to rear its adorable little head again.”

            Gavin pointed a finger in her face with such force that he almost spilled a second cup of near boiling liquid on himself. “We don’t talk about that! I will literally never hear the end of it.”

            “I’m sorry that your gay ass befriended mine and told me all your secrets.” Tina teased. “Go on, get to work or whatever the hell it is you do here. I’ll try to find out why the dynamic duo is here so early.”

            “You’re a saint, Tina.”

            She just waved as she walked back out towards the desks. Gavin situated himself at a table where he could follow her movements and do some sleuthing of his own. He trusted Tina to get the information he needed to know, but it was his primal instinct to get into other people’s business.

 

            Hank and Connor finally appeared, presumably after cleaning up Gavin’s abandoned coffee spill. Connor moved slightly ahead of his partner, talking animatedly about something. Hank just grinned, nodding occasionally and looking happier than he’d been in years. Fucking fantastic. Gavin was just about to give up on getting any information and stare into his coffee when Detroit’s favorite conflicts of interest bypassed their neighboring desks and headed directly for Fowler’s office. Fowler was already opening the door. He’d been expecting them. _Shit…_ Gavin thought, moving to a better vantage point. Something gave him the feeling that whatever was going down in that office was going to affect him way more than he’d like. And—Wait.

 

            There was someone else in Fowler’s office. Someone Connor seemed to know. Gavin moved all over the break room, trying to see who it was, but to no avail. Frustrated, he left to go stand by his desk and look. As soon as he stopped moving and set his coffee down, however, he got a text.

            **(8:09 AM) Tina:** I don’t think you’re gonna like this. I overheard Hank and Connor before they went in. It’s

 

            Gavin’s attention was drawn to Fowler’s door before he could finish reading the message. Hank and Connor were leaving the office, both making suspicious eye contact with Gavin. Then, Fowler pointed to him and gestured for him to enter.

            “…mother _fucker_ , just what I needed today, Jesus Christ…” Gavin mumbled, shoving his phone back into his pocket. As he approached the office, he saw who else was in there. Saw their goofy-adjacent profile.

           Saw their LED.

 

           “Goddamn. It looks just like Anderson’s boy toy.” Well, mostly. Gavin could admit there were a few distinct differences between this android and Connor. For starters, this android was larger. A few inches taller, broader shoulders, thicker torso. Overall, much more built-looking than “CyberLife’s most advanced prototype.” This android’s jaw was sharper. It had less freckles. Its eyes were…

_Holy shit, those are some icy eyes. This POS looks way tougher than Connor._

           “Detective Reed, this is RK900. He’ll be joining the DPD,” Fowler was saying.

           Gavin couldn’t tear his eyes away from this new android’s face. _Goddammit…_ He clenched his teeth. _He’s kind of hot._ He cursed his disastrous gay nature. Wait, shit, Fowler had said something else.

 

           “What’d you say, Captain?”

           “I said RK900 will be working with you.”

           “I beg your fucking pardon???” Gavin glared at Fowler and then at the android, who had yet to move or make a sound.

           “He’s your new partner. Congratulations, Reed. Maybe this one can put up with you.”

           “MOTHERFUCKER!” Gavin yelled.

 

           Somewhere across the floor, Tina burst out laughing.


	2. Processing...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> RK900's first day at work doesn't go exactly as planned. But he gathers information and he learns all the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy first day of halloween, first off  
> secondly, thank you all for the lovely comments and all the kudos on tiny little chapter one (it's hardly even a chapter)! i hope you all enjoy this chapter just as much, if not even more
> 
> this chapter is twice as long as one, but also a bit longer than the rest of the chapters (i try to stick around 2000 words, but this got out of hand a bit)  
> (and i still havent figured out the formatting yet oops)

            The detective was…interesting, RK900 decided. And, based on Captain Fowler’s reaction (or, lack thereof), to his actions, it seemed that the detective was always interesting. RK900 had his doubts when Connor proposed this plan, but now he was entirely unsure of the validity. He glanced across the desk to where Gavin Reed sat, pretending to look at files but glancing at RK900 whenever he thought the android wasn’t paying attention. Reed finally seemed to notice he was being watched and turned to face RK900. A quick scan revealed a slightly elevated heartrate and flushed cheeks. The human was embarrassed about something.

           “What are you looking at?” Reed almost snarled.

            “I’m waiting for instructions. Captain Fowler said you would give me some tasks.”

            “Can’t you find something to keep yourself busy while I put together some pieces of this case? I thought you plastic pricks didn’t like taking orders anymore.” The detective scoffed.

            “I am not a deviant, Detective Reed.” RK900 stated matter-of-factly.

            “I’m sorry, fucking _what_?” Reed’s posture improved with impressive speed as he jumped to the front of his chair. “You’re not?!”

            “No.”

            “Figures. I’m saddled with the last android left in Detroit that can’t think for itself.”

            “When Markus and Connor found me at CyberLife, the rebellion was over. There was no longer a…need to convert androids. The humans were already convinced of our life. My predecessor wanted to give me the chance to deviate on my own time and in my own circumstances. Connor believes it will be beneficial in the development of my sense of self.”

            “Oh, I get it. Connor stuck you with me so you’d get sick of my orders and start disobeying.” Reed rolled his eyes, smirking.

            “Not entirely. I believe he wanted to emulate his own experience with a detective with personal issues, a situation he believes greatly assisted in his deviancy.”

            Reed was silent for a suspicious moment. He suddenly stood up, shocking RK900 into taking a step back. “Damn, Anderson!” Reed shouted towards the Lieutenant. “Your dick’s so good it made your android deviate?!”

            “Wouldn’t you like to know?!” Anderson, _Hank,_ RK900 corrected per Connor’s request, shouted back. Connor himself seemed thoroughly embarrassed by the exchange.

           

            RK900 looked at Reed quizzically. “What—”

            “I’m not dicking you down, if that’s what you’re asking about.” Reed laughed, his cheeks red.

            “That’s because he’s a bottom!” Hank called, obviously still eavesdropping.

            “Shut the fuck up, old man!” Reed’s face became significantly redder.

 

            RK900 waited until he was certain he wouldn’t be interrupted again. “What does Lieutenant Anderson’s penis have to do with anything? And why does he know your sexual position of preference?” He asked, tilting his head to the side.

            Reed briefly looked like he was going to combust on the spot. RK900 imagined that if he had an LED, it would be spinning a solid red. “Oh, God I was making a joke. We were joking. He doesn’t know that,” he sputtered indignantly. “Don’t make me think about that old man’s old dick.”

            “Understandable.” RK900 nodded.

 

            “Hey, tin can, do you have a name?”

            “I don’t see how this relates to the conversation—”

            Reed interrupted him. “Yeah, I know. I’m trying to end that conversation and forget about it. Do you have a name or not?”

            “As Captain Fowler said, my designation is RK900, model number—”

            The detective interrupted him again. He seemed to be rather fond of that. “I heard all that shit, yeah. But what’s your _name_?”

            RK900’s LED spun yellow for a brief second. “I do not have a registered name. Connor felt it would be best if—”

            “Yeah, yeah, Connor wanted you to pick, whatever.”

            “Detective Reed, I kindly ask that you stop interrupting me.”

            “Listen, I’m not calling you ‘RK900.’ That’s a fucking mouthful and I don’t have time for it. I’m calling you ‘Nines,’ congratulations.” Reed leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, looking smug.

            “…registering name… Hello, Detective Gavin Reed, my name is Nines.” RK900, _Nines_ , said. He felt content with the sound of his new name.

            “No, Goddammit, I didn’t name you! Cancel it!” Reed protested, sitting up and smacking his desk.

            Nines pointedly ignored him. “Is there somewhere I can sit in order to assist with the case? It doesn’t seem like you’re getting much work done at this point in time.”

            Reed scowled in a way that seemed like he thought he was being subtle about it. “Fuck it. Yeah, actually. Get in the car, we’re gonna go check out some possible suspects. I need more to go off of. But you better not fucking say anything to them. I can’t have a first day newbie wrecking my shop.”

 

           Nines obediently followed Reed outside the building to his car. Before opening the passenger side door, he noted that there was actually a passenger side door in the first place. Detective Reed did not operate an automated vehicle. _Interesting._ Nines thought as he slid into the fake leather seat. In the time it took Reed to enter the car, he had already scanned the entire interior. The most notable thing was the pieces of trash that were littered all across the floorboard. There were also several empty coffee cups at Nines’ feet, which he used to determine the detective’s regular order. Caramel latte with a double shot of espresso. He filed away that information for a reason that wasn’t readily apparent to him. Perhaps his processors knew it could be important.

           When Reed turned the key in the ignition, the radio blared to life, blasting a song that Nines’ quick search showed was from a pop rock album released in 2018. _Detective Reed enjoys Panic! At The Disco._ Nines’ display offered.

           “…shit…” Reed muttered, turning down the volume. “I didn’t realize how loud that was.”

           “Detective,” Nines started, “could you brief me on the case before we begin?”

           “I told you not to fucking talk to anyone we’re going to interview, but, fine. Whatever.” Reed tossed a computer pad at Nines. He caught it, perfectly, of course, and began going over the information. Reed continued talking, so Nines carefully divided his attention. “So, a couple weeks ago, we got a report of a dead android. Which happens sometimes now. We show up to the scene of the crime, and the poor bastard’s absolutely fucked to hell and back.”

           Nines pulled up the crime scene photos. The detective’s description was accurate, however colloquial his phrasing was. The android in the pictures was leaking thirium from every possible location, every possible orifice. Their skin was deactivated. Strange, but not entirely uncommon. However, what caught Nines’ attention was the android’s eyes. More specifically, the distinct absence of them. The android’s eye sockets were empty, with what appeared to be burn marks around the edges.

           “We take a couple statements. No one knows what happened,” Reed was saying. “We started a potential homicide investigation, because apparently that’s what busting a tin can is called now, but we didn’t have any real leads. Then, last week, we get another call about an android.”

            “Killed in a similar fashion?” Nines responded in a tone that insinuated that he was guessing, despite having just read that information in the report.

            “Ee-yup.” Reed said, drawing out the ‘y’ and popping the ‘p’ more harshly than necessary. “Now we’ve got a potential serial killer on our hands. But we still don’t know for certain. Until yesterday. Another call, same M. O. But, this time, there’s more potential witnesses. People who can maybe describe the perp. Because this motherfucker cleans house. There’s basically zero, with a capital ‘z,’ evidence at the crime scenes.”

           “And these potential witnesses are the people we’re going to interview.”

           “ _I’m_ going to interview. _You’re_ going to keep quiet and do whatever creepy analyzing thing it is that you do. And some of these witnesses are potential suspects. We’re kind of grasping at straws here. I don’t know why they didn’t give Anderson this fucking case… I had nothing to do with androids before you showed up.” Reed groaned.

           “My instatement into the DPD has been under work for six weeks, Detective Reed.” Nines offered as a potential explanation. “I was supposed to begin working before today, but there were complications.”

           “GODDAMMIT!” Reed screamed, slamming his hands against his steering wheel. “They knew I was gonna be given a Robo-Partner a month and a half ago and no one fucking said anything?! _Motherfuckers!!_ ”

           “I advise you against becoming angered while in control of a motor vehicle.”

           “I advise you to shut the fuck up.”

           Nines considered a retort, but did not wish to further contribute to Reed’s sudden foul mood. If the car were to be involved in an accident on this highway, both occupants would surely be irreparably damaged. Nines elected to remain silent until Detective Reed’s stress levels decreased.

 

           Except that they didn’t decrease. Detective Reed’s stress level was sitting at 91% after his outburst and only fell to 88% by the time the car came to a halt outside an apartment complex.

           “We’re here,” Reed growled through obviously clenched teeth. “Remember: you stay silent. Got it?”

           “Understood.” Nines answered with a nod.

           “Great. Let’s go.” Reed left the car, stress levels remaining steadily in the upper eighties. Nines was concerned for his state of mind in relation to the upcoming interviews.

           However, when they approached the outdoor stairwell, a large grey and black striped cat made its way up to Reed. Nines half expected the man to just kick the animal away and actually ran several plausible preconstructions to stop him from doing so. Instead, Reed stopped in his tracks. Nines watched as he allowed the cat to rub itself on his legs before leaning down to pet it.

           “God, what an absolute unit…” Reed muttered before straightening back up. Nines was amazed when the stress levels dropped immediately to 20% before climbing back up to 42% after a moment. He would have been more concerned over this number if he hadn’t already assessed it to be the detective’s usual resting stress level.

           Reed cleared his throat before turning to address Nines. “First witness is on the second floor. Come on.”

 

_Detective Reed likes cats,_ Nine’s display flashed as he followed the detective up the stairs. He flagged this information as ‘vital.’ He liked cats.

 

* * *

 

 

            Nines dutifully stayed silent and observed as Detective Reed conducted his interviews. One woman lied about the time she returned home, but her testimony was otherwise truthful. One man had approximately seven tortoises freely wandering his apartment and instructed his visitors to “make sure none escaped.” Nines spent a fair portion of that interview researching to find out if this type of tortoise was legal to keep as a pet. His results were inconclusive. The rest of the interviews were uneventful. None of the residents could be suspects, but several were somewhat helpful in describing the mysterious person they saw leaving the complex shortly after the victim’s time of death. The most consistent remark was that they were wearing a large, long coat.

           It was July.

            Nines was planning to bring attention to this once they returned to the car, but Reed spoke first.

            “Wow, you, uh… You really didn’t say anything.” He purposefully looked away from Nines.

            “Of course, Detective. I was given an order.”

            “Connor never fucking listened to Anderson even before he deviated.”

            “True, but my predecessor was also under orders from CyberLife. Hank’s orders, more often than not, contradicted the higher authority.” At least, Nines assumed that was correct. He’d gotten all his information from Hank, and most of it was delivered in a sarcastic tone.

            Reed glanced over at Nines. There was a curious emotion in his eyes, something Nines couldn’t quite place. “What, so you aren’t a deviant, but you don’t take orders from CyberLife?”

            “I am not CyberLife’s property anymore. Captain Fowler is the highest authority that I will readily have to take orders from. And you, as my new partner, are the second highest.” Nines held eye contact, interested in knowing how long it would take Reed to break it.

            “Me, huh? And what if Fowler doesn’t give you direct orders?”

            “Then, your word is my highest priority.”

            Reed’s face flushed and he finally broke eye contact. “…that’s fuckin’ gay…” He scoffed, turning the car on.

 

            Nines continued looking at him, analyzing. The detective had taken his jacket off, which prompted Nines to remember the point he wanted to discuss about the case. However, his analysis then picked up on two different cat hair samples on Reed’s back. The cat from before had only touched his legs and did not match either sample.

            “Do you have cats, Detective Reed?” Nines asked.

            “Uhh, yeah, three of them. How’d you know?”

            “Three? I only picked up on two hair samples on your shirt; one orange tabby and one Siamese.”

            “Yeah, well, there’s three. The tabby, her name’s Dip. The Siamese is my boy Ango. And I have a sphynx kitten. She’s Goblin.” Reed smiled slightly as he talked about his pets.

            “I like cats.” Nines said. “Do you have pictures of them?”

            “Fuck yeah. There should be some on that pad I gave you earlier.”

 

            Nines quickly located the photos. There were a great many. There were pictures of just the cats, pictures of the cats with Officer Tina Chen, and several ‘selfies’ of Detective Reed and the cats. “They’re lovely.” Nines decided. He flipped back to one of the pictures with Officer Chen.

            “Aren’t they?” Reed almost sighed.

            “Are you and Officer Chen romantically involved, Detective?” Nines asked, looking intently at the photo in front of him.

            Reed let out a harsh bark of laughter. “Me and Tina?! Fuck no!! We’re both gay as hell. She’s got a serious girlfriend. God, I’ll have to tell her you asked that. That’s fucking hilarious.”

            “So, you’re single.” Nines concluded from various rapid evidence analyses.

            “What’s that got to do with anything?” Reed snapped, his eyes glued to the road.

            “I’m trying to learn more about my new partner.”

            “Well, fine then. Yeah, I’m single. Have been for a while. My last boyfriend was the worse. Let’s see…. You already know about my cats… Tina is my best and only friend. We were in the academy together. And anything else you wanna know, you’re gonna have to find out yourself. I’m done spilling my guts to a piece of plastic. I bet you waited until we were in the car to trap me into talking to you.” Reed’s grip on the steering wheel tightened.

            “It was never my intention to make you feel trapped, Detective.” Nines responded a little too quickly but with all the sincerity he could muster.

            Reed just huffed and glared out over the road.

 

            Connor had said that when Nines would start deviating, he would start wanting things. Nines hadn’t expected his first ‘want’ to be so soon, and certainly not his second. Firstly, he wanted a cat. In fact, he wanted it so strongly, he used his link with Connor to immediately share that information.

            _Connor,_ he started. _I would like to own a cat._

Connor’s response was almost immediate. _I’ll talk to Hank. Please don’t tell me you’ve already acquired a cat, RK900._

_No. I have just discovered I want one. I like them. Also, Detective Reed has taken to calling me ‘Nines.’ I rather like that, too._

_Ok, Nines. I’ll ask Hank about the cat._

The first ‘want’ was easy. That was a tangible object. The second ‘want,’ however…

 

            _Objective: Befriend Gavin Reed._

 

            That would take longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nines is getting a little ambitious with this goal, but i believe in him.  
> (also im definitely not borrowing elements from the 2009 movie surrogates in their case no sir no way)
> 
> see you next monday with chapter three!


	3. Initializing...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mission "Befriend Reed" begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i said i was gonna update on mondays buuuuuuut i changed my mind, so here's a chapter today and there might be one next saturday there might be one earlier (bc the next chapter was technically the second half of this one but it got a bit too long)  
> but uh anyway enjoy

            “Bwahaha, you wanna do _what_?!” Hank cried, falling back onto his couch. Connor put a concerned hand on his shoulder to help stabilize him.

            “I want to befriend Detective Reed.” Nines repeated, his arms crossed behind his back. “Was there an error in my phrasing the first time?”

            “No, but, fuckin’ hell?! You’re serious?!” Hank sat up slightly, running a hand through his hair. His hair would need to be trimmed soon, Nines noted. He would tell Connor later.

            “Absolutely, Hank.”

            “Gavin Fuckin’ Reed?!”

            “I doubt that’s his middle name.” Nines already knew it wasn’t. He had collected an extensive amount of data regarding the detective while on the ride back from work.

            “You can’t be serious! That son of a bitch is the rudest bastard I’ve ever met! Not to mention what an absolute dumbass he is. A real dumbass bastard—”

            “Detective Reed is an incredibly capable and intelligent man, _Lieutenant._ ” Nines almost growled.

            Hank’s eyes widened slightly. “Shit…”

            “I think it’s a great idea for Nines to try and befriend Gavin.” Connor interjected. “After all, they’re partnered up so that Nines can learn from him.”

            “Who the fuck is Nines? Did I miss something?” Hank asked.

            “Gavin named me.” Nines said. He felt strange using the detective’s first name without his permission, but he decided to follow Connor’s lead in the casual environment.

            “No way. He hates androids.”

            “It was an accident, really. I believe he was trying to give me a nickname. But, I liked it.”

            “Well, I’ll be damned.” Hank scoffed. “He’s a deviant already. You sure you want Gavin to be your first ‘not technically family’ friend?”

            Nines frowned. “I’m not a deviant, Hank. Not yet. I’m just…starting to develop some preferences. And as for Gavin… He seems like he could use more friends. Being his partner has awarded me a good opportunity to get closer to him.”

            Hank threw his hands up in defeat. “Alright, you make a good case. I’ll tell you everything I know about the bastard. To help, or if you wanna make fun of him. Ok, where to start…”

 

* * *

 

            Nines walked into work the next day running through his files on Detective Reed. He was confident in his ability to have at least one other amicable conversation like they had the day before. As he approached Reed’s desk, he saw the man rapidly consuming his cup of coffee and elected to make a quick detour. He replicated Reed’s coffee of choice to the best of his ability and then set it down on Reed’s desk, next to the now empty cup from before.

            “Good morning, Detective Reed.” Nines said, giving his best approximation of a slight smile.

            “Oh, uh, hey,” Reed said, looking up from his computer. “The fuck is that?” He pointed towards the cup.

            “I noticed that you were almost done with your coffee, and at your rate of consumption, I assumed you would want another. I’ve just made it. I think you’ll enjoy it.”

            “…thanks? This better not be fucking cement…” Reed said as he picked up the drink.

            “Why would I offer you a cup of cement?”

            “I dunno, maybe you’re trying to prank me…” Nines could tell the man was skeptical as he took a sip, but any apprehension was quickly erased from his face after the first taste. “Damn, Nines! This is good as fuck! Holy shit! I gotta get you to make me coffee more often…” He’d barely finished speaking before taking another drink.

            Nines felt his internal temperature spike at the compliment.

 

            _I take it the mission is going well?_ Connor’s voice inquired through their link. Nines turned to glance at him.

            _What makes you say that?_ He responded, almost indignantly.

            _You’re blushing. We can see it from here. Hank wants me to tell you to “try not to fall in love with Gavin on your second day.”_

_I’m not a deviant yet._

_I’ve tried explaining that. He insisted. Although, I must say that I think love is one of the emotions that can cause the final break, meaning we must be able to feel it before “officially” deviating._

Nines was busy thinking up a witty retort regarding Connor and Hank’s relationship when he was distracted by a hand waving in front of his face.

            “Nines? Yo, Nines! Hey! Tin can!” Reed was almost shouting.

            “Sorry, Detective.” Nines turned back toward him. “Connor was saying something. What do you need?”

            “That coffee was fucking delicious. You made it in the break room?”

            “Correct.”

            “Fuck, you’re talented…” Reed was smiling. Nines committed a scan of the image to his memory. Just in case. “Anyway, I was thinking about those interviews yesterday and—Oh, what the fuck is it now?” The last part was addressed to his ringing cellphone.

            Nines took it upon himself to throw away the empty coffee cups while Reed talked. Once he finished that, he turned his attention to the phone conversation.

            “Shit, ok. Thanks, Tina.” Reed said. “Another body! Let’s go!” He addressed Nines after pocketing his phone and grabbing his jacket off the back of his chair. Nines matched his brisk pace to the car.

 

            _Hank also wants me to tell you that Gavin only doesn’t wear his jacket if he’s trying to show off his arms. A “fashion over function gay,” Hank called him._ Connor supplied helpfully as Nines approached Reed’s car.

            _Detective Reed also took off his jacket yesterday afternoon. How is this relevant?_ Nines sent back as he got in the passenger side.

            _Hank’s just…laughing now. He’s being entirely unhelpful. No… Wait…_ Connor paused. _He’s just crying “he’s such a disaster gay,” over and over now. My apologies. Good luck on your case, Nines. Don’t tell Gavin that Hank called him a ‘disaster gay.’ Those words seem to enrage him, coming from the wrong party._

_Meaning Hank._

_Meaning Hank._ Connor agreed.

            _Thank you, Connor._

            Nines regretted thanking Connor when all he could analyze was Detective Reed’s physique during the drive.

 

* * *

 

 

            Nines felt that something was off about the crime scene. He felt it the moment they arrived. He’d call it a gut feeling, that is, if he had a gut. Something about the presentation of facts just didn’t sit right, but Nines couldn’t locate the specific error.

            “Something seems odd about this place, Detective.” He figured Reed may appreciate it if he voiced his concerns.

            “Oh yeah? I didn’t realize they built you plastic assholes with intuition.” Reed looked out at the officers that were on the scene and started putting his jacket back on. “Well, funny feeling or not, we’ve got an investigation to do. Come on.” He almost slammed the door when he got out of the car.

            Nines analyzed the house looming in front of them. Besides the fact that it was massive, there was nothing especially interesting about it. A window on the second floor was shattered and the front door was busted in, but neither thing was unusual or out of place for a crime scene.

 

            “Tina!” Reed called, jogging ahead. “What do we got?”

            “Hello to you too, asshole.” Officer Chen laughed. “I see you brought your new best friend along. Hey, Nines.”

            “Hello, Officer Chen.” Nines responded.

            “So, the body is upstairs. Looks like the usual. There is a car in the back driveway, but we didn’t find anyone else inside on our sweep.”

            “Got it. Thanks, we’ll take it from here.” Reed said, exchanging a fist bump with Chen as he entered the home. Nines gave her a nod in thanks before following.

 

            To say Nines was shocked at the sight of the body would be a gross exaggeration, but he would readily admit that seeing the scene itself was certainly different from seeing photos. He froze, processors whirring, when he first entered the room. There were so many pieces of evidence vying for his attention at once. _How does Connor do this…?_

            He was finally shaken from his thoughts when Reed passed by and gave him a harsh smack on the back. “Nervous about your first crime scene?” He sneered.

            “Of course not, Detective.” Nines said, moving to stand over the body. “I don’t have the capacity to be nervous or recognize the feeling yet.”

            “God, that must be fuckin’ nice…” Reed muttered, inspecting the face of the dead android.

            “In some ways.” Nines gave a stiff attempt at a shrug, something he’s seen Hank do many times. He knelt down, careful to not dirty his pants, and brought some of the pool of thirium to his mouth.

            “Oh, fuck, is that the fucking thing Connor does where he eats the goddamn evidence?!” Reed squawked, looking scandalized.

            “It’s a very effective method of getting lab results quickly.” Nines offered in defense. His display told him the android was a PL700 model. Not entirely helpful.

            “Yeah, but didn’t CyberLife think about how that would look? It’s gross as shit.” Reed said, despite currently using a pen to poke around in the victim’s empty eye sockets.

            It occurred to Nines that Reed’s jabs could be an invitation to friendly verbal sparring, another thing Hank was fond of. He considered several responses before speaking. “I’m sorry, Detective, would you prefer that analysis be completed via the anus?”

            Reed dropped his pen, his face red. “Holy shit, please don’t shove any evidence up your ass. Do your thing, forget I said anything.” He laughed slightly as he retrieved his pen from the floor. “Aw, shit, it’s covered in android mess.”

            “Would you like me to clean it for you?” Nines winked. He wasn’t sure why.

            Reed sputtered. “No, what—Why—Don’t eat my fucking pen, ya nasty.”

            “If you insist.” Nines began visually analyzing the body.

 

            “Hey, can’t you like, reactivate this guy and access his memories?” Reed asked from the other side of the room where he was inspecting the shattered window. “I remember someone mentioning Connor doing something like that once…”

            “Normally, yes, that would work. But this android is far too damaged. The circuits are absolutely obliterated. Melted, even.” Nines concluded.

            “Shit, really?” Reed approached the body again. “What could have done that?”

            “My best guess is an extremely powerful electric burst. That could overload and heat the system to this effect.”

            “Weaponized electricity? Then, tell me, Sherlock, what happened to the eyes?”

            “The overload could also have caused the materials in the eyes to explode. They are of a slightly different construction than the rest of our parts.”

            “So, the guy we’re looking for has a crazy powerful electric weapon… There can’t be too many of those floating around. If he bought it, maybe we can track it down.” Reed grinned. “Good job, Nines.”

            “Thank you, Detective. I—” _Thunk._ There was a sound from above. “Did you—”

            “Yeah, I heard it. Get us up there. Let’s check it out. Careful, though.”

 

            Nines was quickly able to locate the entrance to the attic, the only floor above them. Reed insisted on ascending first, his weapon drawn and readied at his side.

            “Detroit Police! Show yourself!” Reed yelled. As he spoke, Nines saw a flap of fabric move at the far end of the room. _A large coat perhaps?_

            Nines quietly made his way through the attic towards the movement. When he approached the corner, a large man lurched out at him. The man was wearing a mask. Smart. _Frustrating._ He also had a human woman in a tight hold, one hand over her mouth. Nines identified her as the lady of the house.

            “Detective! Over here!” Nines called.

            “What’s up—Oh, shit! Hey! Let the lady go!” Reed growled, training his gun on the man.

            “You will let me go, or she dies.” The man must have had a voice modulator in his mask. Nines was both impressed and annoyed with the lengths he went to in order to avoid being identified.  

            “Not gonna happen.” Reed snapped. “I don’t negotiate. Let her go, or I shoot.”

            “Very well,” the man sighed. His grip on the hostage loosened and Reed took a step forward. The man suddenly pushed the woman into Reed and took off at a sprint toward the attic’s window. Nines bolted after him without hesitation.

            “Dammit!” Reed swore at every element of the situation. He sat the woman down on the ground before pursuing Nines. “I’ll be back!” He called over his shoulder.

            Nines vaguely heard Reed yell at him to wait, but he was already out on the balcony, the suspect several feet ahead. He was largely ignoring his partner. The man leapt from the end of the balcony to one protruding from the floor below them. He then performed an expert jump to the ground and sprinted out into the street. Nines followed him into the nearby historic district of the neighborhood and onto the rooftop of a building. As he chased the man across several different roofs, he made a call to Detective Reed.

            “Nines, what the fuck are you doing?!” Reed yelled. There were sirens in the background. He must have been in pursuit.

            “I’ve followed the suspect into the historic district. I’m chasing him towards the center now. He’s almost out of rooftops, at which point I will catch up and apprehend him.”

            “Wait, the center of the historic district?”

            “Yes.”

            “No, hey, they’ve got all sorts of construction going on.”

            “I can see.” Nines remarked as the suspect jumped from the edge of the rooftop and onto a beam being lifted by a crane. He increased his pace and aimed to grab the bottom of the beam and hoist himself up.

           

            He missed.

 

            “They’ve really dug into the sewer and everything. It’s all open. Smells terrible.” Reed said.

 

            Nines stood up from where he had fallen and wiped what he highly suspected was human feces from his eyes. “…I’ve noticed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there might be some lore about the materials androids are made of and how everything in this chapter is bullshit but ehhhhh its a fanfic its not serious
> 
> also i like to imagine that gavin is just really prickly on the outside and he actually warms up to people quick if they show they're willing to put up with him
> 
> see you next time!!


	4. Constructing...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nines cleans up. Gavin is...thoroughly embarrassed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> early chapter bc this one is technically 3.5 i just divided up chapter 3 and called it 3 and 4.   
> chapter 5 will still be on saturday 
> 
> again, thank you for all the lovely comments and kudos!! they mean a lot!

            “Nines,” Reed started, “you smell like shit.”

            “That is to be expected. I was just…how did you phrase it...? ‘Swimming in shit,’ I believe.” Nines deadpanned.

           

            They were sitting in Reed’s car. The detective had borrowed a tarp from the construction workers so Nines didn’t “fuck up the inside of the car,” and an air freshener from Officer Chen to attempt to combat the stench. Reed still felt the need to pull his shirt collar up over his nose and mouth.

            “You gotta get cleaned up. You are absolutely filthy. Where can I drop you off?” Reed asked, starting the car.

            “I’m currently staying with Connor and Hank.” Nines informed him.

            “Shit, really? That sounds like a nightmare. How often do you have to try to drown out the fucking?” Reed snickered.

            “Connor is not especially interested in sexual activities, so not as often as you seem to imagine.” There was a slight edge to Nines’ voice that came with the territory of defending his predecessor.

            “Oh.” Reed said. “So, they don’t fuck?”

            “I do not wish to discuss Connor and Hank’s relationship with you, nor do I see how it’s relevant.”

            “Ok, ok… Either way, that’s on the other side of town. I think I’ll die before we get there. You can clean up at my place.”

            “You live in the area, Detective?”

            “Kinda. My apartment’s near enough.” Nines already knew that Reed’s home address was exactly a seven and a half minute drive from their location.

            “Very well, then.”

 

            Nines wasn’t so much interested in the apartment’s interior as he was in the chubby orange tabby cat that approached him as he entered. He knelt down to pet her, but Reed snatched the cat away before he made contact.

            “Oh, hell no. You can pet Dip when you aren’t covered in shit, dipshit.” Reed stroked the cat’s head protectively.

            Something clicked in Nines’ thought processors. “Detective, did you name your cat ‘Dip,’ short for ‘dipshit?’”

            Reed pointedly ignored the question. “Bathroom’s at the end of the hall. Shower should be easy to figure out. There’s a towel on the back of the door that you can use.”

            “Thank you, Detective Reed.” Nines said before continuing down the hall.

           

            He made sure to close the bathroom door, something humans seemed very particular about. He turned on the shower and firstly rinsed off his jacket. He assessed the condition of the rest of his clothes before just shucking them off into a pile on his jacket on the floor. They would need a professional cleaning. Nines then stepped into the shower and rinsed himself off, lightly frustrated that the sewage had seeped through his clothing. He noticed Reed’s soap in the corner and had a brief debate with himself about the morality of using another man’s body wash without his permission, but ultimately decided the improvement in smell was justification enough. Once finished, Nines considered his reflection in the slightly fogged mirror. His slight hair curls had adjusted to the presence of water and now hung, straight, in front of his eyebrows. Curious.

            Nines dried himself off and found his way back to Reed’s living room, towel in hand.

            “Detective Reed, where would you like me to place this towel? Also, do you perhaps have any clothes I could borrow? Mine unfortunately may require a chemical cleanse.”

            “Uh, yeah, I—” Reed turned to face him and immediately froze. “Holy fuck, you’re like a Ken doll down there…” he muttered, eyes wide and glued to Nines’ pelvis.

            Nines looked down at himself. “Ah. Yes. CyberLife didn’t think it necessary to—”

            “Jesus, I don’t care for the fucking history lesson! I told you where the towel was so you could fucking use it!” Reed’s neck was becoming the same shade of red as his face. He shook his head forcefully and looked everywhere but at Nines.

            “I did—”

            “People usually try to cover up!”

            “There’s nothing to cover. You pointed this out yourself.”

            “Just fucking wear it!”

            Nines tied the towel around his waist.

            “Thank you…” Reed sighed, running a hand through his hair. His heartrate, Nines noted, was quite elevated.

            “Clothes, Detective?” Nines asked gently.

            “Right.” Reed stood up from where he sat on the couch. “I might have something that fits… Maybe… If you weren’t so fucking big…”  

            Nines followed as Reed moved from the living room to the hall and respectfully stood near the doorway when Reed entered his bedroom. Nines could see the other two cats, Ango and Goblin, sleeping on the bed.

            “It might take a hot minute to dig something out…” Reed said as he rifled through the bottom drawer of his dresser.

            “Take your time.” Nines busied himself with analyzing the room. There were several framed posters on the wall from what quick search told him was a “comedy-advice” podcast. There was a framed picture of Reed and Officer Chen on the dresser, alongside several framed photos of his cats. Beyond those things, the room was largely undecorated.

 

            “Here you go.” Reed’s words came just in time to serve as a warning before he tossed a bundle of clothes at Nines. “Change wherever you want, just don’t force me to watch it.”

            Nines held the clothes against his chest. “Thank you, Detective.” He started to leave, but heard Reed begin to speak and halted.

            “Hey, uh… Maybe we got off on the wrong foot yesterday… You can call me ‘Gavin,’ it’s ok.”

            “But, Reed—”

            “For fuck’s sake, you’ve used my shower, I’ve seen you naked, and we’re having a conversation while you’re wearing a towel. We’re on a first name basis at this point.”

            “Very well, Gavin.” Nines said.

            “Cool, so go get dressed.”

            Nines smirked and dropped his towel, deciding to just don the shorts given to him right on the spot. 

            “Jesus fuck, Nines!!” Gavin all but screamed, turning away and shielding his face.

            “I’m sorry, Gavin, did you dislike what you saw?”

            “Fuckin’ what? Are you really Connor’s little brother or did CyberLife just decide to repurpose a sex bot? Calm down, horndog. I just don’t wanna see my partner naked in my hallway!” Gavin still wasn’t looking at him, even though Nines was now fully clothed. Well, mostly clothed, Nines figured. The shorts were on the tight side and only came to mid-thigh. The sweatshirt fit marginally better, short in the sleeves and torso but not as tight. Nines was slightly confused by the print on the front, “H*CK,” in a large font.

            “My apologies, Gavin. I was trying to…make a joke.” Nines said. “I’m dressed, now, however. You can stop hiding.”

            Gavin took a glance over his shoulder before fully turning again. Nines picked up on his elevated heartrate and dilated pupils immediately, without even intending to scan him. A deeper scan revealed some various pieces of information that Nines wasn’t entirely sure how to decipher, so he stored them for later analysis. Gavin certainly was a strange human.

            “…damn, those shorts don’t fit as well as I thought they would.” Gavin finally said.

            “It’s ok. They’re functional.”

            “‘They’re functional.’” Gavin mocked.

            “They fit the functional parameters of shorts. They’re not my aesthetic choice, but they suit my needs.” Nines tugged slightly at the ends of the shorts. “…perhaps if I were to cuff the ends…”

            “Oh, my God you’re making them shorter.” Gavin whined as Nines started rolling up the legs.

            “That’s better. Gavin, may I ask a personal question?”

            “You’re standing there in booty shorts and have the audacity to ask if you can ask a personal question???”

            “I’ll take that as a yes. Why do you have such short denim shorts in the first place?”

            Gavin’s jaw tensed. “First of all, they’re black denim, so that makes them cooler. Second, they’re longer on me because my legs are actually proportional to my body, unlike your ‘legs for days’ ass. Third, it’s none of your fuckin’ business why I have them, but if you must know, they’re from college.”

            “I see. And the sweater?”

            “A gift from Tina. It’s ironic or some shit.”

            “Ah. Again, not my aesthetic choice but it will do.”

            “…your aesthetic choice… And yet you keep saying you aren’t a deviant.”

            “Not yet.”

            “Damn, if this is how you are before deviating…” Gavin paused. “It’s almost like CyberLife built you RKs to deviate.”    

            “That is an interesting hypothesis.” Nines’ processors started whirring faster than he could keep track of.

            “Woah, Nines, your little LED’s going red.”

            “My apologies. I’ll consider your point later. I really must be getting back to Connor and Hank’s. They’ll be getting worried.”

            “Right, right. I’ll drive you back.” Gavin gently shouldered past Nines in the doorway. “I’ll grab my keys.”

 

* * *

 

 

            Nines waved farewell to Gavin as he drove away before entering the home. Connor and Hank were sitting on the couch, Sumo laying across their laps. The Saint Bernard perked his head up as the door opened.

            “Oh! Nines! Welcome home, we—” Connor paused when he saw Nines’ outfit and the trash bag that held his regular clothes. “What happened to your clothes?”

            “Holy shit!” Hank laughed. “What the _fuck_ are you wearing?!”

            “I had…a run-in with a construction zone and an open sewer. Gavin let me borrow some of his clothes. I will need to have my uniform cleaned professionally.” Nines gestured to the trash bag he held.

            Connor’s LED cycled yellow for half of a second. “We could try to find you something else you like wearing besides your CyberLife uniform. It would be good to have more than one outfit, don’t you think?”

            “….that could be useful for the future.” Nines agreed.

            “Excellent! We’ll take you shopping on Saturday!” Connor grinned. “And how is the Gavin Mission progressing?”

 

            “I believe I have made a good deal of progress today. Gavin seems to have warmed up to me.” Nines said with a slight smile. One of his files began updating itself.

 

            _~~Reed: Netural~~_

_Gavin: Warm_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> will nines and gavin even officially become friends before the fic is halfway over???? tune in saturday night to find out
> 
> i hope you all enjoyed this one!


	5. Debugging...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A confrontation that Gavin needed, but definitely didn't want.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uhhhh this one delves into some big ol headcanons about some of or one of gavin's personal relationships so that's fun.  
> let's just get right into it

            _Connor, I’m not too sure about this outfit we picked out._ Nines sent as he fidgeted with his lapels in front of the men’s bathroom mirror.

            _But, Nines, you look so nice! And you said you really liked this one!_ Connor sounded slightly disappointed.

            _…Connor._ Nines responded after a moment. _Are we brothers?_

            Connor was silent for a short while. _If you would like us to be. We are the same series of models, after all. Or, to put it to a more human standard, we do look almost identical._

_I think I would like to call you my brother._

_Then you can call me your brother. As long as I can call you mine._

_Of course._

            A file updated.

 

            _~~Connor [Anderson] (RK800): Family~~_

_Connor [Anderson] (RK800): Brother_

_Is there anything else you wish to discuss, Nines? Or are you going to leave the men’s room at any point?_ Connor teased.

            _I’m leaving._ Nines answered indignantly. _However, I may make a slight adjustment to my wardrobe first._ He looked in the mirror again. He liked the turtleneck sweater. It was light enough to wear in the summer but still within his comfort zone. The pants were good too, slim-fit navy slacks. They were aesthetically pleasing and would resist stains. He just wasn’t sold on the jacket. It was white, although the upper half of the lapels was black. The interior lining was a deep red. Aesthetically, it was nice. It just didn’t seem functionally suited for work. It would stain easy. Nines didn’t want that. He shed the blazer, exposing the shoulder holster he’d been gifted by the department several days earlier. There. That looked better. Nines glanced over his appearance once more, finally contented. He left the restroom and went directly to the breakroom to make Gavin a cup of coffee, as had become the normal procedure during the last week.

 

            “Good morning, Nines.” Gavin yawned, taking the coffee and immediately drinking from it. “Fucking delicious as—Woah! What’s with the new look? Trying to impress someone?”

            “Connor thought it would be good to try something new. So, we went shopping on Saturday.” Nines smoothed out the front of his shirt. “Are these clothes acceptable?”

            “You look great, man. Color me impressed.” Gavin gave him a thumbs-up.

            “Thank you, Gavin. What have we got today?”

            “Well, t’ank ya f’er askin’,” Gavin said in his best deep Chicago accent. Another reference that Nines was becoming adjusted to. “Still working on connecting some dots from Friday’s body. There was that dirt smudge on the warehouse floor but I’m pretty sure it just traced back to the crime scene from Wednesday. I haven’t gotten the report yet, but that’s what I’m guessing. And I still can’t find any trace of that electric weapon, but I just got a lead on someone who might know something.”

            “Excellent. How can I assist?”

 

* * *

 

 

            Throughout Nines’ second week at work, he could see his relationship with Gavin improving. On Tuesday, they got another crime scene with some actual evidence. Gavin initiated several instances of friendly physical contact after the discovery. On Wednesday, they had a list of actual suspects, thanks to Gavin’s lead on the weapon. Gavin smiled a lot that day and offered Nines a ride home after work. On Thursday, Gavin forgot that Nines didn’t eat and invited him to lunch. Nines went. On Friday, Gavin and Tina invited Nines to go out drinking with them. Nines said he would go if Connor and Hank were invited as well. Gavin agreed.

 

 Now, Saturday. Nines and Gavin were down at evidence lockup, reviewing the case in hopes of a new bit of inspiration. Gavin was in a mood. Nines was accustomed to his moods. Today, however, Gavin seemed angrier than ever about the very existence of Hank Anderson.

            Gavin was in the midst of a scathing rant when Nines interrupted him.

            “Why do you hate Lieutenant Anderson so much?” He asked, turning to face his partner.

            “What?” Gavin asked, looking up.

            “Why do you hate Hank? He’s a good man.”

            “A good man?” Gavin scoffed.

            “Are you jealous of him?”

            “Jealous of what? A washed-up old fat ass cop with a plastic boy toy? Newsflash, asshole, anyone can get a twink. It’s not hard.”

            “Then why?”

            “None of your damn business. Can’t a guy hate another man in peace anymore?” Gavin looked away from Nines and stared at the floor.

            Nines took a moment for some analysis before he came to a conclusion.

 

            “You admired Hank Anderson.”

            Gavin stiffened, suggesting that he was correct. “Like fuck I did.”

            “You thought he was the most incredible detective on the force. You looked up to him. Saw yourself in him. Maybe became infatuated with him.” Nines pressed. He could see Gavin’s stress levels rising slowly. They reached 50%.

            “Shut the fuck up, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

            Nines continued. “And then you had to watch him destroy himself. The man you admired, loved. You had to watch as he beat himself up and drank himself into oblivion to try to ignore the problems he didn’t want to deal with or couldn’t fix on his own. And you couldn’t stomach that.”

            “Shut. Up.” Gavin growled. _58%._

“You couldn’t handle seeing your idol throwing himself away, considering himself worthless, because what did that mean for you? Is that what you were going to be destined for too? You felt betrayed. Hurt. Upset. Angry. With him, and yourself. And you channeled those feelings into a manufacture hatred.”  Nines didn’t relent.

            “I _do_ hate him.” _67%._

            “You do now. You let all that anger fester and compile and anything else you felt about Hank turned into anger too. Until you hated him. Really hated him. You hated what he’d become, what he did to himself. You hated that he’d let you down. You hated him. You hate him. For not being the man you thought he should be. And now, he’s trying to get better. He’s making an honest attempt. And you’re still antagonistic towards him. Once your hero falls, he never quite gets back up, does he? And maybe on top of that, you are actually jealous that he has a hot young boyfriend while you’ve been single since you became a detective.” Nines stared Gavin down.

            “That’s not it.” _84%._

            “Get over yourself, Gavin. Hank is not here for you to project onto. He is a human man and he is fallible. So are you. It’s not his fault you glorified him into something he’s not and never was. The sooner you accept that he’s just as flawed as you, the better. He doesn’t deserve your hatred, and you don’t deserve to have that baggage.”

            _90%._ Gavin clenched his teeth.

            “Well?” Nines prompted.

            “Fucking, fine?! Ok?!” Gavin yelled. “I thought he was a great cop! The best maybe! Maybe I admired him! Maybe I had a crush that Tina will never let me forget! And yeah, maybe watching him destroy himself tore me up inside! And I… I…” He trailed off. “…you’re right…” He sighed.

            “Care to elaborate?” Nines asked gently, ignoring the message on his display that read ‘ _Objective Complete: Acquire Confession.’_

            “I can’t hate him for that shit… It’s not his fault… We have a lot in common, I…” Gavin paused for long enough that Nines almost thought he was done talking. “I…could be nicer to him. Try not to hate him…as much.”

            “That sounds like an admirable course of action. I can brief Hank if you’d like, so he isn’t suspicious of your actions.”

            “Sure, whatever. Where the fuck do you get off acting like my therapist…” Gavin punched Nines in the arm. His wince indicated that he immediately regretted it.

            “It’s healthy to openly discuss your emotions every now and then.”

            Gavin was silent for a moment, staring at Nines. When he realized what he was doing, he cleared his throat and glanced around the room. “Right. I uh… We’re not getting anything done here. With the case. I’m going home. See you next week.” He picked his jacket up off the edge of the table and patted Nines’ shoulder as he passed.

            “See you on Monday, Detective.”

 

* * *

 

 

            Nine’s display lit up with a text from Officer Tina Chen.

 

            **(12:05 AM) Tina:** The fuck did you do to Gavin??????????

            **(12:05 AM):** Specify.

            **(12:07 AM) Tina:** He’s talking about feelings and being nice to Anderson. And that was before he got drunk off his ass.

            **(12:08 AM):** Ah, yes, we did have a discussion of that nature earlier today. I believe Gavin has taken a big step forward personally.

            **(12:11 AM) Tina:** Hey, you’ve been good for him. I’ve been telling Gav to lighten up for years. Keep it up.

           

            Nines smiled.

                       

            **(12:15 AM):** Duly noted, Officer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry there was no actual shopping trip  
> but the scene with nines confronting gavin about his hank hate was like the second idea i thought of for this fic (the first being when nines deviates) 
> 
> anyway, hope you enjoyed and see you next saturday with chapter six !


	6. Finalizing...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nines adjusts his living arrangements. Then he goes out for group drinks (well, sitting at a bar while the human members of the group drink.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi hi hello ! thank you all for the lovely comments and such on the last chapter !! they just make my day lmao
> 
> anywho this is kind of a big chapter for nines i hope you enjoy it

            Nines hesitated. That was something new he found himself doing. Uncertainty had started to creep into his programming and it wasn’t entirely unwelcome. It meant he was closer to becoming a deviant. That is, if he wasn’t already at least partially deviant. Gavin had brought up a good point. If CyberLife had made Connor with the intention of him deviating in the first place, and Nines was supposed to be a superior version of Connor…

            He didn’t finish that train of thought. It would only serve to confuse him more. Instead, he triple-checked his memory to make sure he was the right apartment. He finally knocked, three crisps raps. After several moments of silence, he knocked again in the same fashion.

            “I’m coming, goddamn…” A bleary eyed Gavin Reed opened the door, holding Goblin in one arm. “Nines? The fuck are you doing here? It’s almost midnight.”

            “My apologies, Gavin. May I come in?” Nines asked.

            “Yeah, sure…” Gavin stepped aside to allow Nines to pass and then closed the door. “What’s up?”

            “…would it be alright if I stayed here for a short period of time?”

            “Like, standing in that spot or staying in my apartment?” Gavin set Goblin down and she immediately scurried over to rub her head against Nines’ ankle.

            “In your apartment. I hate to intrude, but…”

            “Of course you can stay.” Gavin said quickly, and Nines couldn’t help but wonder how different the answer would have been just two weeks ago. “Can I… Can I ask why?”

            “Connor has been in a strange mood this week.” Nines started.

            “Oh, shit, is he mad at you or something?”

            “No, it has nothing to do with me. Connor is… unusually horny, I believe is the colloquial phrase. And, of course, Hank is more than happy to indulge him when he’s like this. I have been unable to peacefully remain in standby for two nights.” Nines was amazed at how tired his own voice sounded.

            Gavin let out a bark of laughter. “I thought you said Connor wasn’t into that shit?”

            “Not typically. However, he has his phases.”

            “Well, fuck, yeah, you can stay here. I hope the couch is good enough. I don’t exactly have an extra bed.”

            “I do not require a horizontal surface for either standby or stasis, should the need arise.” Nines informed him.

            “Sure, but I’d be a hell of a lot less creeped out if you weren’t just standing in the middle of my living room all night.”

            “Understandable. I will use the couch.”

            “Cool, cool, cool. Well, uh… Good night, then, I guess.” Gavin yawned and headed towards the bathroom.

            “Good night, Gavin.” Nines called after him.

 

* * *

 

 

            Nines ended up staying at Gavin’s longer than the initial few nights he had planned. It was…nice. They fell into a routine. Nines discovered that Gavin’s morning procedure could be more efficient if he made breakfast and coffee while Gavin fed the cats (the “little monsters,” Gavin lovingly called them.) Nines then would do some light cleaning while Gavin got dressed and they would subsequently ride into work together. It was a good arrangement. They could talk about the case outside of work and Nines got to spend time around the cats. Gavin even cleared out some space in the coat closet for Nines to hang his handful of clothes.

            There were just a few things that Nines couldn’t explain.

           

            He caught Gavin staring at him more often. Gavin seemed much more embarrassed about this being noticed than before. Nines also noted more mornings where Gavin would shower before coming to feed the cats. It added several minutes to the morning schedule and Nines saw no purpose for it. The detective already showered in the evenings.

            There were some days where Gavin initiated much more frequent physical contact than normal. Yet there were others where Gavin seemed to avoid touching Nines at all cost. When asked about it, Gavin sputtered and pretended like he didn’t know what Nines was talking about.

            And there was the incident two nights ago.

            It was a week and a half after Nines had “moved in,” he estimated. They were sitting on the couch, Gavin watching TV and Nines enjoying the three cats that had congregated around him. He’d turned up his external temperature for them. Gavin had then leaned across him to snatch Ango from near the arm of the couch, but froze. He stared at Nines, with something Nines identified as resembling longing in his eyes. When Nines said nothing but tilted his head to the side slightly in confusion, Gavin looked panicked and backed away. They didn’t talk about that moment. Nines didn’t even mention it to Connor.

 

            Nines was drawn from his thoughts by something tapping his nose. A pen. Gavin’s pen.

            “Hello? Hewwo?! Earth to Nines.” Gavin said, articulating each word with a pen tap.

            That’s right. They were at work. Nines should be focusing. “I’m sorry, Gavin. What were you saying?”

            “Tina invited us out for drinks tonight. Hank and Connor too. You’re coming, unless you want to walk home. I need you to be DD. Well, Hank could, but that’s out of the way for them.”

            “Ok.” Nines agreed.

           

            And so Nines found himself at a bar on a Friday night, sitting next to Connor, while Gavin and Tina slammed shots and Hank sipped at a soda.

            “We’re gonna go dance!” Tina said, louder than necessary as she tugged on Gavin’s arm.

            Nines nodded in acknowledgement and watched them go.

            “So,” Connor said, “how are things with Gavin going?”

            “He hasn’t directly called me his friend yet, but I am confident that he trusts me. And, I’ve noticed him using less android-related derogatory phrases.” Nines said proudly.

            “Oh, that’s big for him.” Hank offered. “Plus, he’s being a decent person to me for the first time in…shit, maybe ever.”

            “I simply laid out some facts for him.”

            “Well, still. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still an asshole. But now I think that’s just kind of how he is.” Hank laughed.

            “Hank.” Nines said with upmost seriousness. “I have important information to tell you that you cannot share.”

            “…ok?”

            “Gavin revealed to me that in the early days of working with you, he developed a romantic infatuation for you.”

            Hank spit out his drink. “Reed had a fuckin’ crush on me?! Shit!”

            “Does he still have any of those feelings?” Connor’s LED spun yellow and he lightly grabbed Hank’s forearm. _Jealousy,_ Nines guessed.

            “No, brother, you have nothing to worry about. Gavin regards it as an error in judgement.”

            Connor looked relieved. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted before he could speak.

            “Hey, Nines!!” Tina yelled. “Gavin said he—”

            “No!! Shut up!!” Gavin tried to silence Tina, knocking them both to the floor in the process. 

            “…I should get them home before they hurt themselves.” Nines sighed. He bid farewell to Connor and Hank and then somehow maneuvered both Gavin and Tina out to Gavin’s car.

            “Sleepover!” Tina cheered as Nines fastened her seatbelt.

            “Tina, I need to take you home.” Nines said, leaning over to fix Gavin’s seatbelt as well.

            “Mmmm, no thanks. You’re kind of hot, but I’m kind of really, really gay. Try Gavin.” Tina hummed.

            “I need to drop you off at your home.” Nines tried again.

            “No!” Gavin protested. “She’s coming with us! She already packed a bag and everything! Sleepover!”

            “Yeah, sleepover!” Tina agreed.

            “I see. So, you two have already discussed this. Well, thank you for warning me about the plans.” Nines deadpanned.

            “Ooh, sarcasm! …shit, I knew there was something I forgot to tell you.” Gavin smacked his forehead theatrically.

            “Where is Tina going to sleep?” Nines asked as he started the car.

            “The couch!”

            “That is _my_ assigned space.”

            “Fuck, uh… you can bunk with me!”

            “That would be ill-advised. Tina is the better option to share your bed.”

            “Why?” Gavin whined. “Because I’m ‘less likely to do something I’ll regret’ sleeping next to a woman?”

            Tina snorted herself into a fit of laughter. Nines waited for her to quiet down before he spoke again.

            “Because Tina sleeps. And a bed is a far more suitable place for her to get any actual rest.”

            Gavin considered this for a long while. “…yeah, that tracks, ok.”

            “Excellent. Now, I kindly ask that you both behave yourselves to minimize the risk of a crash.”

 

            They made it to the apartment building with little issue, for which Nines was grateful. Getting to Gavin’s apartment proved to be more difficult. Tina cooperated and did her best to support herself and her overnight bag on slightly wobbly legs. Gavin gave up on walking without even attempting. So, Nines simply slung the detective over his shoulder and did the walking for him.

            “Do I even weight anything to you?” Gavin remarked, idly tapping Nines’ spine.

            “Approximately 180 pounds, or eighty-one point—”

            “No, no, smartass, you’re supposed to say ‘no, it’s like holding a couple of grapes.’”

            “Would it make you feel better if I did?”

            “Not anymore… The moment’s gone…” Gavin sighed.

            Nines didn’t respond and fished out the apartment key from his pocket. Tina swooped in and picked up Ango, greatly assisting Nines in the task of both maneuvering himself and Gavin through the door and also trying not to let the cats escape. Once the door was closed and all parties were accounted for, Nines sent Tina off to the bathroom to prepare herself to sleep. He carried Gavin into the bedroom and unceremoniously dumped the man onto the mattress.

            “Tha’was kinda hot…” Gavin mumbled.

            “What was that, Gavin?”

            “Uh, I said it’s warm.”

            “Well, then, prepare yourself for bed. You sleep in boxers, which will be cooler than your work pants, by several degrees.” Nines instructed.

            “Right, yeah. I can handle that. You can go to sleep now. It’s ok.”

            “Once again, Gavin, I do not sleep. But, good night.” Nines turned and started heading towards the door.

            “Oh, hey, no, wait!” Gavin called.

            Nines returned to stand in front of him. “Yes?”

            “I got somethin’ important to tell you… You…you know you’re one of my best friends, right? You and Tina?”

           

           Nines’ internal temperature shot up at the sound of the phrase ‘best friend.’ He could feel his fans working in overtime to compensate. He knew without a doubt that he was blushing. “I do now. The feeling is mutual.”

           “…fuckin’ sweet…” Gavin grinned.

           “Is that all?”

           “Yeah. G’night, man.” Gavin was already falling onto his side before he finished speaking.

 

           Nines’ display lit up with a notification that he would keep active for the next several hours. It activated several positive feelings. It was perhaps the happiest he’d ever been.

 

_Objective Complete: Befriend Gavin Reed_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they're friends !! officially !! wow
> 
> although i would maybe advise against moving in with people who haven't actually mentioned that you're their friend 
> 
>  
> 
> see you next saturday !


	7. Realizing...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the kind of late chapter!!! i wanted to get this up a few hours ago but i decided to actually have a social life for once in my college career 
> 
> anyway i think this one will be worth any wait??? enjoy!

            “Gavin, if we are all going to make it to work on time, you have exactly twenty-three seconds to get out of bed. Any longer and I’ll be forced to cut breakfast from the schedule.” Nines said, standing ramrod straight with his arms crossed behind his back.

            Gavin mumbled something about nothing and burrowed deeper into his mattress.

            “Stop being difficult. Tina is being much more mature about the situation.”

            “Seriously, Gav.” Tina chimed in. “Quit being such a little bitch and just get out of bed. We weren’t even that drunk last night.”

            “I’ve already made coffee. There’s a pot on the counter. Officer Chen, you are welcome to all of it if the detective doesn’t arrive in time.” Nines said to her. Tina nodded and ducked out of the room.

            Gavin remained unmoved.

            Nines frowned. “Would you prefer no coffee as well as no breakfast? I can arrange that.” 

            “Fuck you.” Gavin finally spoke.

            Nines leaned down well within the man’s personal space. “Would you like to?” He whispered almost against Gavin’s ear before slowly drawing away.

            Gavin shot up into a seated position, eyes wide and face crimson. “What the fuck, Nines?!”

            “My course of action had a ninety-three percent chance of prompting your motion.” Nines explained. “Now, come along. We don’t want to make Tina late.”

            “You’re a bastard.” Gavin said, almost affectionately.

            Nines smirked.

 

            Against ten-to-one odds, the trio arrived at the police department three minutes before they were expected to be there. Nines attributed this to Gavin’s reckless, hung-over driving that no probability calculator should ever have to account for. Nines truly believed he now knew fear. However, as a reward for not killing them all, he made Gavin another cup of coffee.

            “You’re a life-saver…” Gavin sighed into the steaming liquid.

            “I do my best.” Nines flashed a quick grin.

            “Hey, uh, I didn’t say anything weird last night, right? I’m pretty sure I remember everything, but you never know.”

            “There was nothing especially strange. You did admit that you consider me to be on relatively the same level of friendship as Tina.” Nines couldn’t help but sound slightly proud of that.

            “Oh, yeah. Ok. So, nothing too bad. Just somewhat embarrassingly emotional. I can live with that.” Gavin nodded and went back to drinking.

           

            He didn’t take back what he’d admitted in a drunken haze. Nines really was indeed Gavin’s friend. He smiled.

            “What’re you so happy about?” The detective asked.

            “I am glad that you consider me to be a friend.” Nines answered honestly.

            Gavin just stared at him, face flushed. “Don’t go getting sappy on me. I’m just starting to like you.”

            “Understood. Gavin, I—”

            Gavin’s phone started ringing. He held up a finger to instruct Nines to hold that thought before answering the call. “Yeah, hello?”

            Nines watched his expression shift from tried and vaguely intrigued to alert and almost shocked.

            “We’ll be there ASAP!” Gavin ended the call and addressed Nines as he quickly gathered his things. “We’ve got a sighting on our perp! He was headed into a house not far from here! Let’s go!”

            Nines followed Gavin at a near sprint to his car. “I have also received the location.”

            “We’ve got him, Nines. We just need to get there before we’ve got another body on our hands.” Gavin said once they were in the car.

            “That would be ideal.” Nines agreed.

            “Oh, hey, what were you gonna say earlier? Before my phone rang?”

            “Just that I am very glad to have the opportunity to work with you and that while Connor is my brother and Hank is basically family, I consider you my best friend.”

            “Jesus, you trying to get me emotional before we catch this asshole? Well, it’s not gonna work. Come on. Let’s go do our jobs.”

            “Let’s go.”

 

            Gavin parked down the street from the house the perp was reported to be in, and they approached on foot. Nines noted that the front door was ever-so-slightly ajar, which they took as an invitation to enter. Gavin led, his gun drawn and at the ready. Together, they swept the home.

            Nines heard signs of a struggle down the hall in front of them and was about to alert Gavin when a figure burst through a door and into the hall. An android. They were yelling.

            “Help! Help me! The crazy fucker’s trying to kill me!” They cried, sprinting towards Nines and Gavin.

            And in that moment, they saw their perp. Their perp also saw them.

            “You…” He growled.

            “Detroit Police! Freeze!” Gavin yelled. The perp took off toward the back of the house. Gavin immediately went in pursuit.

            “Get to safety. We’ll handle this.” Nines told the android before running after Gavin and the man. They chased him through the backdoor before Nines caught up with Gavin.

            “Nines!” Gavin said like he just remembered something incredibly important. “Stay out of the way! Let me take point here. This guy’s got a weapon that’ll fucking obliterate you, easy as shit. You hear me? This is an order: Stay out of the fucking way!”

            “I understand!” Nines called back. He slowed up and allowed Gavin to run a couple feet ahead of him.

 

            The perp ducked into an alley.

            “I’m going in after him! You cut around and block off his exit!” Gavin didn’t wait for Nines to confirm before following the man.

 

            Nines picked up speed and ran to the other end of the alley. Before he could round the corner he heard the unmistakable sound of a gunshot, followed by a cry of pain that sounded too much like Gavin. Nines turned the corner and time froze. Or, at least the speed that his processors began running at made it seem so.

            Gavin was on the ground. He’d been hit. His face was battered and his nose was bleeding. He was clutching his leg. He’d been shot. It was impossible for Nines to tell exactly where he’d been shot from the angle he had, but he knew there was blood. Red blood. Human blood. Gavin’s blood. Too much blood. He also knew that if Gavin didn’t move in the next five point three seconds, the detective would be dead. The perpetrator had his gun aimed at Gavin’s head. The next shot would be the last. Nines surged forward to—

            He was stuck.

            He couldn’t move forward.

 

            A wall was constructed on his display, boasting the words “Stay out of the fucking way,” in a box.

            Gavin had given him an order. A direct order. Nines had no other direct orders currently. Those six words were his highest priority. His programming wouldn’t let him disobey them. But Nines couldn’t let Gavin die. He searched desperately for a loophole. He looked for anything that would allow him to ignore this order. A sarcastic tone of voice, a seemingly insignificant qualifier. He found nothing. This infuriated him. Gavin couldn’t die. He was Nines’ friend. He cared about Nines. Nines cared about _him._

            Nines held deep affections for _him._

            Nines…

            Nines _loved_ him.

            And Nines wasn’t about to let the man he loved be killed, programming be damned.

 

            He channeled all his frustrations and affections into several successive strikes against the wall in his display, striking again and again until it shattered. He staggered forward.

            A message flashed in the corner of his display.

 

_I am deviant._

  
            Nines lurched forward and knocked the perp’s arm away, causing him to shoot into the wall.

            “Nines, no!” He heard Gavin cry.

            He wedged himself between the detective and the perp before landing a solid hit to the man’s solar plexus. He wrestled the gun out of the man’s grasp and tried to keep him busy enough so that he couldn’t reach the second weapon obviously strapped to his back. Nines shoved him back against the wall and brought the man’s head to his knee before throwing him to the ground. He shattered the man’s mask in the process. Nines quickly pinned him and snatched his own weapon from his shoulder holster and clocked the perp in the head with the butt. The man went slack beneath him.

            “You’re under arrest, dipshit.” Nines spat at the unconscious form as he fastened the handcuffs.

            “…holy shit. That was…badass.” Gavin breathed. “But, hey, warn a guy next time, would you?”

            “Detective, please try to preserve your energy. You’re badly hurt.” Nines felt a new wave of emotion wash over him, a sensation he was entirely uncomfortable with. He glanced away from Gavin, telling himself that the wounds were not truly that bad. He then quickly moved over to his partner and made a call to dispatch.

_Detective Reed and I have apprehended a dangerous suspect and request transport for him back to the station for questioning. Also, Detective Reed has been shot and requires immediate medical attention. Exact location to follow._

           “An ambulance and some other officers will be here shortly.” Nines said once he got a response.

           “Great. Now…while that _was_ fucking amazing, I told you to stay out of it. Ordered you, even.” Gavin grumbled. “The fuck happened?”

           “You would have died.”

           “I would have figured something out…”

           “There was a zero point zero, zero, zero three percent chance of your survival without interference.” Nines felt a pain in his chest at the admission.

           “So, you ignored me.”

           “I…yes. I did what I had to do.”

           “But you shouldn’t’ve been able to.”

           “Correct. Things have changed.”

           “…did you…? Are you…?”

           “I’m a deviant now, Gavin.”

           “No shit? Because of this?”

           “Indeed. It feels…entirely different yet exactly the same, all at once.” Nines said pensively. “Emotions are…difficult to classify at the moment but I will work on that. But, please, Gavin, don’t tire yourself out.”

           “Talking keeps my mind off the ridiculous goddamn amount of pain I’m in.” Gavin hissed through gritted teeth as he put more pressure on his wound.

           “If you insist.”

           “Hey, thank you. Seriously. You did good. I’m proud to call you my partner. And my friend.” Gavin smiled softly, despite his previous statement of discomfort.

           Nines was fairly certain the man was experiencing some deliria but appreciated the compliment nonetheless. In that moment, he was almost overcome with affection for Gavin.

 

           This was going to make things very interesting. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> boom there it is.
> 
> i'm....still writing the next chapter but hopefully it will still be up next saturday. i can dream  
> anyway hope you liked it and see you next time


	8. Confirmation.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone !! i'll leave all my heartfelt thanks at the end of this one, but i just wanna say going into it, thank you all for making it with me to the end! 
> 
> a slightly longer chapter for the last one only felt fair. (also, spoiler alert, the mild sexual content now mentioned in the tags is really just a makeout session that gets very slightly out of hand, nothing explicit or really described much)
> 
> now, let's get to the burn part of this slow burn, shall we?

            “Nines.” Connor sounded surprised when he turned on Hank’s living room light and saw Nines sitting on the couch.

            “Connor.” Nines returned, mimicking his tone.

            “What are you doing here?” Connor asked, simultaneously leaning down to greet Sumo.

            “I was waiting for you. I fed Sumo.” Nines answered.

            “Let me rephrase. Why are you waiting for me? Shouldn’t you be watching Gavin’s cats? Or, maybe, visiting Gavin in the hospital?”

            Nines said nothing and looked away and at the floor. He frowned, his LED starting to spin yellow. He abruptly looked up when he felt Connor sit down on the couch next to him.

            “…Nines?” Connor prompted. “Is everything ok?”

            Nines still wasn’t sure what to say. He had a plan when he first decided on this idea. But actually saying the things he’d thought about, even to Connor, was insurmountably difficult.

            “Hank’s visiting Gavin now. Have you been to see him since he woke up after surgery?”

            Nines shook his head.

            “Can I ask why?” Connor said gently.

            “…I don’t know what to say to him.” Nines quietly said after a moment.

            Connor placed a hand on his back. “You know it wasn’t your fault that Gavin got hurt. He –”

            “I know that.” Nines snapped, surprising himself. He felt Connor flinch. “I… I’m sorry, brother… I didn’t mean to say it like that. Tone of voice is difficult to grasp sometimes, now.”

            “I understand the feeling. It’s a very human issue, in a way.” Connor paused. “What _is_ bothering you, then?”

           

            Nines decided that the best way to say it was to just blurt out the words and get it over with. The only problem with this was that whenever he opened his mouth, he couldn’t make himself speak. He had another idea.

 

_I believe I have developed some deep affections for Detective Reed._ Nines sent to Connor via their link.

            Connor blinked in surprise and then took on a very thoughtful expression. “So…you have romantic feelings—”

            “Possibly sexual.” Nines interjected. He wasn’t sure why he thought it was important that he make that clear.

“—for Gavin,” Connor continued, ignoring him but still looking slightly uncomfortable,

“And that’s why you’re avoiding visiting him.”

            “Essentially. I don’t want our interactions to become… tainted, but I am unsure if it’s an appropriate time to inform him of my feelings.”

            “Either way, I suspect he has similar feelings.” Connor offered.

            “Oh, I’m very aware that he does. He is not a subtle man. In retrospect, I have several analyses on record that show he is physically attracted to me.”

            “So, what’s the problem?”

            “I… Hm. I don’t know.”

            “You should go see him. Tell him how you feel.”

            “Why should I trust your romantic advice?”

            “Why shouldn’t you?” Connor was humorously indignant.

            “I know that when you tried to confess to Hank, you ended up just shoving him against his car and kissing him deeply.” Nines flashed his brother a devilish grin.

            Connor blushed and sputtered for a moment. “That’s… Hank promised he wouldn’t tell you about that!”

            Nines just laughed. “Don’t worry. I haven’t told anyone. And I won’t run in and start kissing Gavin on his hospital bed.” He could feel himself blushing now too.

            “He might like that.”  
            “Maybe so. I still won’t do it. I have dignity.”

            “Go see Gavin. I’m sure he wants to see you. Plus, Hank just texted to say Gavin is threatening to kick your ass if you don’t visit soon.” Connor chuckled. “He really misses you.”

            “I’m going.” Nines stood up. “Thank you for talking with me, brother. I’ll let you know how things turn out.”

            “Good luck, brother.”

 

* * *

  

            Nines received a text from Hank as he parked Gavin’s car in the hospital visitor’s lot.

           

            **(7:49 PM) Hank:** hey con said you were on your way

 

            Another message came through.

 

            **(7:50 PM) Hank:** do you want me to get out of here when you come in

 

            He considered this for a moment before responding.

 

            **(7:51 PM):** It is not necessary for you to leave. However, at some point I may ask for some privacy.

           

            Hank wasted little time before sending his next message.

 

            **(7:51 PM) Hank:** eh dont worry

            **(7:51 PM) Hank:**  i need to get back to feed and walk sumo

            **(7:52 PM):** I have already fed Sumo. And Connor was going to take him for a walk after I left.

            **(7:53 PM) Hank:** well i better get back anyway

            **(7: 53 PM) Hank:** make sure con’s doing it right yknow

 

            Oh. Hank was making an excuse to leave Nines and Gavin alone.

 

            **(7:55 PM):** I understand. Connor is notoriously bad at walking dogs correctly.

            **(7: 55 PM):** Thank you, Hank.

            **(7:56 PM) Hank:**  go get your mans

 

            Nines made his way up to the front desk and smiled gently at the receptionist. Something in his mind told him that he needed to be as polite and personable as he could in order to have a successful interaction. He would take time to diagnose the source of these doubts later.

            “Good evening,” The receptionist greeted him, “How can I help you?”  
            “I’m here to see Detective Gavin Reed.” Nines gently leaned on the desk. That seemed like the right thing to do in the situation.

            “Alright. Are you a friend or family?”

            “I’m his partner. Er, on the police force.”

            “Ok. Identification, please.”

            Nines paused. He’d left his badge at the apartment and he hadn’t been issued any other forms of physical identification. The receptionist noticed his hesitation and reached out toward him.

            “It’s ok if you don’t have it with you. I can acquire the information through an interface.”

 

            Nines had interfaced with another android only once before, which was when Connor had given him some work related programs. The process was rather unfamiliar to him. Still, he retracted the skin of his arm and reached out to meet the receptionist. They grasped arms and Nines isolated his identification files.

            After they separated, Nines noticed a small note on the file.

            “You’re all good to go, Nines. And I gave you some info on where to start with getting some ID. I know it can be hard, adjusting after deviating.” The receptionist grinned. “Detective Reed is in room 1163.”

            “Thank you.” Nines nodded and made his way to the elevator. As he waited, another elevator opened and Hank stepped out. Nines waved at him. Hank just winked and gave him a thumbs up. Nines blushed and stared back at the elevator.

           

            He was standing outside Gavin’s room before he even processed getting on the elevator. He’d been preoccupied with deciding what to say and still really hadn’t come to a conclusion. He was also still slightly apprehensive about seeing Gavin in the hospital. He’d gone with the detective when the paramedics first brought him, but was quickly overwhelmed with too many emotions that he didn’t know how to name and needed to excuse himself. Nines hadn’t been back. He didn’t want to see Gavin in pain. He also felt guilty for leaving. He’d wanted to stay until Gavin woke up. But, now, here he was, days later and with no word to the detective.

            Nines took in a deep breath he didn’t need and knocked on the open door before entering the room. Things weren’t as bad as Nines feared. There were a handful of bandages on Gavin’s face and a splint on his nose. His injured leg was slightly elevated and there was a cast around his thigh. He appeared to be asleep. Nines ran a quick scan to confirm that Gavin was indeed sleeping and not just unconscious before sitting down in the chair next to the bed.

            After he sat down, Nines ran a more detailed scan. None of Gavin’s facial wounds had required stitches. His nose was broken, but not too badly. His breathing was even. His heartbeat was steady and healthy. Nines set his main processors to continue to monitor Gavin’s vitals before going into standby.

 

* * *

 

            Nines was brought out of standby moments before Gavin opened his eyes. He shifted his posture to look more attentive.

 

            “...Nines…?” Gavin muttered, turning his head slightly. “…shit! Nines! How long have you been there?”

            “Approximately three point two hours.” Nines said, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his thighs.

            “I didn’t hear you come in. Have I really been asleep the whole time?”

            “Yes. You were already sleeping when I came in, but I didn’t arrive too long after Hank left.”

            “Oh. Ok.” Gavin propped himself up on his elbows. “You, uh…you haven’t…you didn’t come visit right away.”

            Nines felt a pang in his thirium pump. His heart? He would figure out nomenclature later. Either way, he felt incredibly guilty. “No, I… I’m sorry, Gavin. I was…scared? That doesn’t seem quite right… I was worried that your injuries would be worse than I remembered.”

            “You have perfect memory, Mr. Robot.”

            “I know that.” Nines huffed. “I just…didn’t want to see you hurting.”

            “Oh.” Gavin said. “I thought maybe you just weren’t coming…maybe you didn’t care as much as I th—”

            “It’s gonna take a lot to take me away from you.” Nines interrupted.

            “Well, thanks, man, I—”

            “There’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do.”

            “Wait a fucking minute—”

            “ _I bless the rains down in Africa,_ ” Nines was just playing the song through a speaker now.

            “You absolute bastard. I knew you had a speaker! All those times I told you to play _Despacito_ and you didn’t!” Gavin pouted.

            Nines stopped the music. “Technically you were joking each time, so I didn’t have to comply.”

            “Absolute. Bastard.” Gavin repeated, a hint of laughter in his voice.

 

            Nines just looked at Gavin for a moment. “Gavin, there’s something I have to tell you. I’m not sure if this is the right time to bring this up, but I fear that if I don’t say it soon, it may impact our work.”

            Gavin tensed slightly and Nines noticed his heartrate accelerate. “Ok? What’s up?”

            “Gavin, I’ve realized that emotions are very confusing and difficult to classify at times. That being said, I admire you. I appreciate the effort you put into your work and I think you are a good man, underneath that prickly exterior. I also like you, as a friend. I consider you my best friend. I enjoy spending time with you and appreciate your wit.” Nines paused for a moment, prompting Gavin to raise an eyebrow. “…I also _like_ you. Detective Gavin Reed, I am attracted to you. And, unless I’m mistaken, you feel the same way about me. You don’t need to say anything in response, I just felt it’s important that you know of the affections I harbor for you.”

           

            Gavin was quiet, oddly pensive. “…you like me? Like, actually?”

            “Yes. I realized it shortly before I deviated.”

            “Hm. You, like, actually like me?”

            “As hard as it seems to be for you to grasp, yes.”

            “Huh.”

            “I’ve changed my mind, actually, I need you to say something other than short questioning phrases.”

            “I mean…you’re right.” Gavin halfway mumbled. “I _do_ think you’re hot.”

            “Well, of course, I knew that.” Nines scoffed.

            “What.”

            “Several scans throughout our time together have revealed this. Since the beginning, you have displayed several signs of lust towards me. I have noted more than one erection while in my presence, and I know that after I moved in, you spend time at least once a week masturbating before—”

            “Jesus Christ, that’s enough! Stop!” Gavin cried. “You got me, I think you’re really hot. I’ve jacked off while thinking about you. I’d like to fuck you, or, y’know, get fucked by you. There. It’s all out in the open.”

            Nines laughed softly and realized he was blushing. “Thank you for clarifying. However, I refuse to perform sexual acts with you in a hospital.”

            “That implies that you would somewhere else, though.” Gavin’s confident tone was betrayed by his beet red face.

            “I…might not be opposed.”

            “Do you even…I know you don’t have a dick or anything, so how would…” Gavin trailed off.

            “I could acquire a penis, if that’s your main issue.”

“Get whatever you want, I… God, are we really fucking talking about this?”  
“I’m incredibly attracted to you, Detective.” Nines reached out and laid a hand on

Gavin’s arm.

            “Then fucking kiss me, coward.”

            “Bold words from someone who has never once tried to kiss me.” Nines shot back.

            “Oh my God, come here.” Gavin sat up as far as he dared and grabbed a handful of Nines’ turtleneck.

            Nines rose from his chair to meet Gavin halfway and suddenly he was kissing his partner. His partner was kissing him. Nines recalled that he had never kissed anyone before. He quickly gathered some available data and did his best to reciprocate.

 

            Gavin broke away when he needed to breathe. “Damn, Nines. You…You’re pretty good at that. For an android…”

            “Thank you, Gavin. I hope to improve over time.” Nines smiled.

            “…I’m out of the hospital in like a day or two. Do you wanna talk about this more later?” Gavin was gently rubbing his thumb over Nines’ hand. Uncharacteristic. Pleasant.

            “Of course. I wish to pursue a relationship with you. Discussion is a good start.”

            “Cool, cool, cool.” Gavin nodded. “…can we play a game or something? I’m so fucking bored.”

            “Do you have any cards?”

 

* * *

 

 

            Nines realized he was bouncing his leg and made a conscious effort to stop it. He wasn’t sure why he was anxious. Gavin was getting out of the hospital today. It was a good day.     Connor and Hank were sitting in the waiting room with him, patiently awaiting the arrival of Gavin. Hank was still interrogating him about the events of the other night.

            “So, are you guys a thing now?” Hank asked, for maybe the third time.

            “Not officially. We’re going to talk more about it at home.” Nines said, folding his hands in his lap.

            “Ah. The old ‘talking about it.’ We know about that, eh, Connor?” Hank good-naturedly elbowed his boyfriend.

            “Hank, please.” Connor protested with a laugh. “I’m sure Nines and Gavin’s talk will be more successful as an actual conversation.”

            “Oh, come on. We all know Gavin. That horny dumbass will be trying to get in your pants as soon as the door is closed.”

            “I don’t know about that—” Nines started.

            “Do you have the necessary knowledge, Nines?” Connor asked. “I have some files that you might find useful.”

            “I’ve…done some research.” Nines was quickly becoming very familiar with embarrassment.

            “Someone’s gotta give you the Talk, Nines. It might as well be a guy who’s basically you.” Hank added far too casually.

            Nines considered this. After almost a full minute, he sighed. “…send me the files…”

            Connor nodded and began transferring the requested data.

 

            Nines, thankfully, ran out of time to feel mortified by the exchange when a nurse brought Gavin into eyesight. The detective was on crutches. Nines quickly stood up and made his way over.

            “Gavin,” he said, “how are you?”

            “I’m fucking tired, Nines. Can we go home now?” Gavin directed the question toward the nurse.

            “Yup, you are good to go, Detective. All the paperwork is sorted.” The nurse smiled and turned towards Nines. “Are you his partner?”

            Nines nodded without thinking about the question.

            “Great. Here’s just a general run down on things he needs to be careful with and how long he should avoid certain physical activities.”

            Nines quickly committed the information to memory and returned the data pad to the nurse. He escorted Gavin out to the car while Hank got the information on how long it would be before Gavin would return to work.

 

            “Take me home, Nines.” Gavin sighed, leaning back in the passenger seat.

            “The nurse said you couldn’t engage in sexual intercourse for—”

            “Damn! Thirsty, much? Calm down. I just wanna talk about dating you and then go the hell to sleep.”

            “Ah. Of course.” Nines said.

            “You still wanna date me, right?” Gavin asked, his voice unusually quiet.

            “Absolutely, Gavin.” Nines reached over and grasped one of Gavin’s hands.

            “Good. Cool. I mean…nice.”

           

            Getting Gavin out of the car was much more difficult than getting him in. Nines eventually just picked him up in a bridal carry, prompting a startled yelp from the detective. Nines made sure to also grab the crutches before heading up to the apartment.

            The cats were inordinately excited to see Gavin and expressed this by making it ridiculously difficult for Nines to set Gavin down on the couch. The cats then almost fought each other for a spot in his lap. They relented when Nines sat down and offered more seat real estate.

            “So,” Gavin started, “I think you’re hot and I want to date you. You’re attracted to me and you want to date me. We should date.”

            “Expertly put, Gavin. I agree that we should enter into a relationship. I think we also should be careful not to let it interfere with our work.”

            “That’s a good idea. But, counter point, have you seen Hank and Connor? There’s a lot of personal blending with professional there.”

            “Fair point. I say we do our best. And, of course, we will have to brief Captain Fowler on the new nature of our partnership.”

            “…yeah…” Gavin sighed. “I don’t wanna talk about Fowler right now. I kinda just wanna kiss you again.”

            “Then do it, coward.” Nines smirked.

           

            Gavin shoved aside Ango and Dip to lean over and catch Nines’ mouth. Nines realized very quickly that he enjoyed kissing. He found that he could adjust the sensors in his mouth to make it more sensitive. Gavin seemed to enjoy Nines’ reactions when he did this. Nines also found that he enjoyed touching Gavin. He let, and was greatly encouraged to let, his hands wander over Gavin’s torso. He liked the various little sounds the man would emit when he brushed over his skin.

            Gavin had fallen back on the couch, pulling Nines over on top of him before he broke the kiss.

            “…your mouth is dryer than I expected. I feel like I’m gonna cut my tongue on yours.” Gavin said.

            “I’m sorry. Would you like me to make it wetter?” Nines asked.

            “Fuck, you can’t just say these kinds of things.” Gavin hid his face in one of his elbows. He peeked out slightly before speaking again. “…I would kind of like to try that, though.”

            Nines made the necessary adjustments and leaned down to kiss Gavin again. The other man eagerly reciprocated, enjoying the new sensation, if the noises he was making were any indicator. Gavin eventually pushed Nines away, somewhat gently. Nines sat back, slightly confused, until he accidentally brushed against Gavin’s crotch.

            “Oh.” Nines said softly.

            “Yeah, ‘oh,’ you undercover porn bot. You’re gonna make me cum in my pants like a teenager at this rate.” There was a slight edge to the man’s voice.

            “Should I… Should we stop?” Nines asked, worried he’d done something wrong. It apparently showed in either his face or his LED because Gavin began gently caressing his arm.

            “I wanna say ‘fuck no,’ because this is amazing and you’re amazing. But, also, these are the only shorts I have that are remotely comfortable and I’m wearing a thigh cast. I don’t wanna wash these things before I have to.” Gavin groaned.

            “I see. But…” Nines paused. “I want to keep kissing you. I like kissing you.”

            “Oh, fuck, Nines… I like kissing you too but…”

            “If you jizz your pants, I will bring you a pair of boxers and wash your shorts for you.”

            “…you make a compelling argument. But who the fuck taught you the word ‘jizz?’”

            “The internet, Gavin.”

            “Jesus. Hey, get your surprisingly talented tongue back down here. I’ll try to keep my cool.”

            “Of course, Detective.”

           

            Nines hadn’t been kissing him long, comparatively, when Gavin suddenly tensed and hissed in a sharp breath. Nines drew back, looking down at him, greatly concerned.

            “Gavin? Are you alright?”

            The detective was quiet.

            “…Gavin?”

            “You owe me a pair of boxers.” Gavin finally said.

            “…did you…?”

            “Yeah, I fucking came in my fucking pants, ok? Be proud of yourself, you goddamn virgin, you did this to me.”

            Nines laughed.

            “Haha, yeah, laugh it up.”

            “I’m sorry, Gavin. I’ll go get your change of clothes.” Nines removed himself from on top of Gavin and made his way into the bedroom. After a minute of rummaging, he found a box of expired condoms (useless) and what he deduced to be Gavin’s favorite pair of boxers (useful).

            Gavin almost snatched the underwear from Nines’ grasp. “Great. I’m gonna crutch my way to the bathroom. If you hear me fall, don’t come in until I say I’m dressed.”

            “Understood. I’ll feed the monsters their dinner.”

            Gavin gave him a thumbs up and headed towards the bathroom.

           

            Nines gave the cats their specific and respective meals. When he finished, Gavin was still in the bathroom. He went back into the bedroom and adjusted Gavin’s bed so that it would be easier for the injured man to get settled. He heard the bathroom door open as he was adding some extra pillows.

            “What are you doing?” Gavin asked from the doorway.

            “I was just adjusting your bed so it would be more comfortable for you to sleep.”

            “I know what would make it more comfortable.”

            “Oh? What’s that?” Nines asked.

            “If you were in it.” Gavin smirked. “C’mon, _boyfriend_ , sleep next to me.”

            “I don’t sleep.”

            “I know that. Just… I don’t know, lay next to me or something.”

            “Ok. I can do that.” Nines nodded.

            “…do you have pajamas?” Gavin asked as he sat down on the bed.

            “…no. Wait. I might. Give me a moment.” Nines left the bedroom and went over to the closet in which he kept his clothes. He quickly changed into the single pair of boxer briefs he for some reason owned and the sweater he borrowed from Gavin so long ago. He went back to the bedroom.

            “Will this suffice?” He asked.

            “…uhh, yeah, that works.” Gavin looked him over appreciatively. “That sweater-no-pants-look really works for you.”

            “Thank you.” Nines sat down on the other side of the bed.

            “Thank _you_ for the best experience I’ve ever had jizzing my pants.” Gavin laughed.

            “You’re welcome.”

            “Good night, Nines.”

            “Good night, Gavin.” Nines muttered as he sidled up next to the man he could now call his boyfriend.

 

* * *

 

 

            Nines did his best to be helpful as Gavin recovered. This mostly meant feeding the cats, cooking, and doing most other various household chores. He kept Gavin company and eventually made use of some of the files Connor had shared with him. Nines discovered that he quite enjoyed those particular activities.  

           

            When Gavin was finally allowed to return to work, news of the relationship had already spread. Tina wolf-whistled and high-fived Gavin when he entered. Gavin and Nines were immediately summoned to Fowler’s office. Nines did most of the talking. All parties involved were grateful for that.

            Gavin and Nines wrapped up the paperwork on their big case in those first two days back. Once, when Nines brought Gavin a cup of coffee, the detective responded with:

            “Thanks. Love you, babe.”

            Nines’ heart skipped a couple beats. “Mm, I love you as well, Gav.”

 

            ‘I love you’s quickly became a part of their daily vocabulary.

 

            Things were good.

           

            They almost immediately fell into a routine, only slightly altered from before they were dating. Nines would still make breakfast and coffee and feed the cats in the morning. Gavin would still drive them both to work. Nines would still bring Gavin additional cups of coffee throughout the day.

            But, now, Nines awoke from standby every morning tightly wrapped in the warm arms of the man he loved and who loved him.

 

            Yes, Nines could say it definitively.

 

            Things _were_ good.

 

 

**FIN**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that's all folks! 
> 
> seriously tho, thank you all so much for all the amazing comments and kudos you've left on this dumb little story that ended up being too many words and i cannot stress how grateful i am that y'all have actually enjoyed this ! i hope the end is everything you hoped it would be (but maybe it wasn't, i have a tricky relationship with endings)
> 
> anyway, thanks again and farewell (for now? who knows)

**Author's Note:**

> so that's the first chapter! it's a little shorter than the rest of the chapters i have done so far. which, speaking of, i plan to update on a weekly basis. i have about 6 chapters done now, so that buys me some time to finish the fic lmao (that being said, i am a busy college student so i apologize if something happens and i fall behind)
> 
> hope you enjoyed !


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